Ordained Praise does not mean we are physically ordained. Rather we are spiritually ordained in Christ to meet the needs of our children. The Holy Spirit sends his guidance which enables us to reach out and understand the needs and desires of our children. Anything can happen when Christ is the center!

Expressions from our Youngest

Love it!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

It is with great joy that I can share some of the things I'm thankful for to include in Judy's meme at her Thankful Woman's Blog. It has been hard for me to participate lately because I've been extremely busy and find myself getting very tired often. I've had to rest during the day when I get the chance so that I can tackle the next task successfully. I hope you can have patience with me as I join the conversation periodically when possible.

1) I am thankful for knowing where all the speed traps are while I'm out and about. They were insalled all over our county right after Obama got in office. I know it is a local thing, but I believe Obama's presidency motivated the county to put them up. I pass them going in and out of our town, driving my daughter to Religious Education, and driving to the Maryland football games. I know exactly where to monitor my speed extra carefully.

2) I am so grateful for the continuation of our little homeschool co-op this year. We are much smaller and no longer at the Church. This year we hold classes at eachother's houses and it is working out very nicely. It is such a joy to be able to spend time with these other homeschool families.

3) I am thankful for leftover tailgate food. There is nothing like the taste of barbeque flavored meat that can just be re-heated in the microwave.

4) I am grateful that my daughter was able to spend some time with her friend the other day. Her friend's family is Lebonese and it is a tradition to call other adults 'Aunt' and 'Uncle.' Her friend is calling me Aunt Eileen. I don't have any siblings with any kids, but now I can finally be an Aunt!

5) I am so thankful to be able to teach the kindergarten boys the mysteries of the rosary and see them pray a decade together. They are so adorable as they learn the Our Father and Hail Mary prayers.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

If you are teaching middle school history to a homeschool class, here are some questions you can use during a jeopardy game. We are using Volume II - The Civil War to the 21st Century, ALL AMERICAN HISTORY - Uniting America's Story, Piece by Piece by Celeste W. Rakes from Bright Idea Press. It is a full year's curriculum in 32 weekly lessons with a great Activity Book for the students. This is only the beginning of the year and is for Lessons 1 through 4 only.

There are five categories for the jeopardy game: Laws, Vocabulary, Presidents, Battles, Famous People

Laws:
1) Where and/or when did this arrangement between the North and South occur: a) To satisfy the North, the importation of slaves would be illegal after 1808. b) To satisfy the South, slave owning would be allowed and the South could count slaves in determining its number of representatives in Congress, each slave being worth 3/5 of a white man. Answer: Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia 1787. (This is additional information I found from another resource.)

2) What and when was the law called that made this arrangement between the North and the South: a) Missouri was admitted as a slave state, balanced by Maine's admission as a free state. b) Slavery was excluded from the Louisiana territory north of the latitude line 36 30' and permitted south of it. Answer: Missouri Compromise of 1820

4) Which law a) rejected the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and b) made the issue of slavery a matter of popular sovereignty (changing it from a moral issue to one that could be settled by a vote)? Answer: Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

5) What/When was the law called that made these arrangements between the North and South: a) California was admitted as a free state. b) New Mexico territory was organized w/o restriction on slavery with the provision that when applying for statehood, the territory "shall be received into the Union w/ or w/o slavery, as their Constitution may prescribe at the time of their admission. c) Fugitive Slave Laws were tightened. d) Slave trade was abolished in the District of Columbia Answer: Compromise of 1850

2) Conforming to a standard of what is right and good. Answer: Morally

3) To bind by mutual agreement. Answer: Compromise

4) To do away with wholly. Answer: Abolish

5) To withdraw from an organization. Answer: Secede

Presidents:
1) President who a) signed into law the Compromise of 1850; b) term was during Matthew Perry's trade mission to Japan; and c) was the first time federal aid was used for building railroads. Answer: Fillmore

2) The debate in Congress first began during this President's term over whether the territories taken from Mexico (after the Mexican War) should be open to slaves. Also, Congressional work first began during this President's term on what would later become known as the Compromise of 1850. Answer: Taylor

4) President whose term was during the a) Scott v. Sanford Case (Dred Scott tried to sue for freedom); b) Southern threats of secession (8 states secede); c) Same time radical abolitionist John Brown goes to Harpers Ferry. Answer: Buchanan

5) Believed slavery was immoral, but nevertheless believed Congress had no Constitutional rights to abolish slavery where it already existed and that the Abolitionist Movement must proceed carefully. Issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address. He was also the first Republican President and was assasinated. Answer: Lincoln

Battles:
1) Confederate Beauregard and his troops wanted a total and dramatic victory and fired the first shot of the Civil War. Answer: Siege of Fort Sumter

2) After this Confederate victory the Lincoln administration realized that the war would not be over in 90 days but would be long and costly. Training Union troops became a priority. Answer: First Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Manassas

3) Union victories that collapsed Confederate troops in Kentucky and Tennessee. Now two major water routes could be used by the Union to move troops and supplies. Answer: Battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson

4) Confederate ship, the Virginia, sank and destroyed two wooden Union ships. The next day the Union ship, the Monitor, fought the Virginia and it ended in a draw. Naval warfare was changed forever; wooden ships were now obsolete. Answer: The Monitor and the Merrimack

5) Confederate hopes of recovering western and middle Tennessee were dashed after this Union victory. Answer: Battle of Pittsburgh Landing or Battle of Shiloh

Famous People:
1) Democrat who authored the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. One reason was to get railroads built in the territories. He rammed it through Congress. Answer: Senator Stephan A. Douglas

2) Wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin" which had a tremendous influence on the slavery debate. Answer: Harriet Beecher Stowe

3) Radical abolitionist leader who condemned the South and encouraged slaves to escape and come north. Also, commanded the movement of the "Underground Railway." Answer: William Lloyd Garrison

4) Name(s) of 1 of/or 2 moderate abolitionist leaders who did not call for an immediate and total end of slavery because they could foresee the great disruption that would result. One (Weld) founded anti-slavery societies through out New England and the other (Adams) was the first leader in Congress who introduced petitions calling for the abolition of slavery. Answer: Theodore Weld and/or John Quincy Adams

5) Slave who tried to claim that his temporary residency in free territory had made him free upon his return to slave territory. Answer: Dred Scott

Saturday, September 10, 2011

I have been so overwhelmed with planning curriculum and getting everyone back to school and college. Please forgive me for not being able to participate in this great meme for a while. As you know, Judy's blog has a great meme where we can list the things we are thankful for. Just click on her name to participate. Here are mine for this week:

1) I am grateful for this moment of peace and quiet on this Saturday morning (better late than never) to be able to ponder and share about my last week.

2) I am thankful that my writing class went well this past week. I am also teaching the Kindergarteners some prayers. My heart just absolutely melts when I see and hear them trying to recite a decade of the rosary. They are so adorable!

3) Finally, my carpool arrangements for my high schooler are set for the year. I am very thankful for this. I was so worried and unable to plan effectively because I wasn't hearing anything. At the last minute, plans finally were set in place. Talk about stress.

4) I am grateful that my older sons are safely back to college and settled in their dorms. Also, for the fact that one of their dorms is located near the Catholic Student Center!

5) I am thankful for a husband that has similar political views! Sorry-some other views just seem to be totally annoying.

About Me

Our family is very blessed with five beautiful children who are striving to follow Our Dear Lord in everything they take on in life. We have been fortunate to be very active in their education and have benefitted from some very fine Catholic schools. We devoted our marriage to the Blessed Mother and believe she brings our prayers to the Lord which unites us in the Faith. Our Faith life is central to all our endeavors.

The United States of America

"Stay Out of the Thorns"

Order the game I created for children 3 to 10 years old that reinforces some biblical passages and is loads of fun to play. (Adults will like it too.) It is very easy to learn. I have not priced it yet but am working towards trying to make it more affordable. I used it for the Co-op class I taught and the children loved it. It takes 20 to 30 minutes to play. See my website http://www.nucleusoflife.com/ under the teacher aids section for a customers feedback/description on this game.